title: Management of chronic hypertension during pregnancy with furosemide, amlodipine or aspirin: a pilot clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the maternal and neonatal efficacy and safety with furosemide, amlodipine or aspirin in women with mild/moderate chronic hypertension during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot clinical trial was performed in a tertiary teaching hospital in Panama. Pregnant patients with mild/moderate chronic hypertension at ≤20 weeks of gestation were invited to take part in the study. Mild/moderate chronic hypertension was defined as a pregnancy with systolic blood pressure of 140-159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of 90-109 mmHg. Women in the furosemide group received 20 mg of furosemide oral each day, those in the amlodipine group received 5 mg of amlodipine oral each day and those in the aspirin group received 75 mg of orally-administered acetylsalicylic acid each day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 63 patients during the study period, 21 women were randomised to each group (aspirin, amlodipine and furosemide). We found no difference in maternal complications, pre-term births, mean birth weight or in the proportion of small for gestational age infants among treatment groups. Severe hypertension and aggregate pre-eclampsia were similar among treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot trial demonstrates that both furosemide and amlodipine might have the same effect during pregnancy. However, a large clinical trial is necessary to prove this.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Critical Care and Maternal Fetal Unit, Caja de Seguro Social , Panama City , Panama.
authors.forename: Paulino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vigil-De Gracia
authors.forename: Leyvis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: Alcibiades
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017311:Amlodipine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005665:Furosemide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D017311:Amlodipine; D005665:Furosemide; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: Amlodipine; aspirin; chronic hypertension; diuretics; furosemide; pre-eclampsia